RWBY Blood Wars
by KAW021197
Summary: Team RWBY has reunited at the Battle of Haven. With their group back together, they head to Atlas with Qrow, Oscar and the rest of Team JNPR. But, a new warrior rises from the ashes and is hellbent on destroying Atlas, and he has a personal interest in Ruby herself. It falls to Ruby to stop him from burning Atlas to the ground...if she doesn't join him first.
1. Chapter 1

RWBY Volume 5

 _ **BLOOD WARS**_

 _"Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories."_

- **Sun Tzu**

Metal smashed violently against metal. The sounds of smithing filled the small room. The putric smell of smoke, ash, and fire seemed to snuff out everything else. Very little light was present, as the violence outside the room seemed to consume everything it touched. For most everyone, these conditions would be miserable if not extremely dangerous. Surely, toxic gases filled the room. Anyone inside this corner of hell would've left long ago, or suffocated in the dimly lit room.

Crimson couldn't feel more alive. The way his lungs choked for air, the way his eyes burned, the way he could FEEL his life draining away into the abyss. THIS was his life. He was no sadist, no masochist. He took no pleasure from this daily routine. In fact, he despised it. And yet, he craved it. It reminded him of THAT night. The night his life was stolen from him, the night SHE took EVERYTHING from him, the night his...

"No...I will not go through this again." Crimson growled to himself. "It is almost time. She should be arriving soon, and when she does...everything changes." The door to the room suddenly burst open, light filling the room as if God himself had commanded it. Crimson slowly cracked his eyes open to see Indigo, his only connection to his old life, standing in the doorway, holding her hands to her mouth as she gasped out words that didn't seem to leave her lips.

Crimson sighed as he walked outside onto a steel walkway overlooking a massive weapons factory. "What is it Indigo? I asked not to be disturbed." Crimson asked, clearly irritated his "session" had been interrupted. "I j-just w-wanted to let y-you k-know that..." Indigo coughed violently as Crimson just rolled his eyes and leaned back on the walkway railing. "At some point today, I expect to know what it is you wanted to tell me." Crimson said sarcastically as he glared daggers through her. He wasn't normally this rude...with Indigo at least, but she had interrupted his only available time to mentally prepare for their plans.

Indigo straightened and spat off the side of the rail, then glared at Crimson. "Not my fault you decide to give yourself cancer every day in that damn room of yours!" indigo said, puffing her cheek out in annoyance. "If only." Crimson remarked. Indigo huffed and stared out over the walkway at the factory. Massive jets were being loaded with missiles and massive rounds of dust, and soldiers were practicing shooting at targets.

"She arrived yesterday. She is in an inn with her uncle." Indigo said softly. "Her new team is there too. They had a run-in with some horse demon grimm thing outside the city and are recovering before they meet with Lionheart."

Crimson stared with her at the soldiers. "At least they haven't met with him yet, or our plans could've gone to ruin before it even began." Crimson muttered. Indigo shifted slightly, as she turned to face him, back leaning against the railing. "There's more. Her sister and former partner are both heading here. They could be here within a few hours according to my informant." Indigo said.

Crimson glanced at Indigo, and marveled at how beautiful she looked with the glow of the factory reflecting off the walls behind her. If things were different, they may have been...something more. But after what had happened...it just couldn't be. He had changed too much, and she had changed too little. Crimson dismissed those thoughts and glared out again at the factory, his face a mask to hide his true self. He would show no mercy, no quarter. He was ready.

"Good. Then when they arrive, we shall begin. Now go." Crimson commanded, and Indigo bowed slightly as she turned to leave. But as she began to descend down the stairwell to the factory floor, she turned and looked at Crimson. That boy she had once loved seemed like a distant memory, and as she looked at his face, she frowned and sighed and she saw his eyes burn a bright crimson red. "What did they do to you?" Indigo whispered to herself as she finally walked down the stairs.

Crimson watched her go, and it felt like he was watching her leave him again. Before that night, before..."DAMMIT, stop thinking about it!" Crimson growled in frustration. Crimson growled and closed his eyes again. He saw the smoke, the fire, the blood. And he saw HER.

Crimson slowly opened his eyes, eyes burning a dark crimson red, threatening anyone who dared defy him. He wasn't that same boy. He would have his vengeance for that night, and it would begin soon. And as Crimson walked past his men, past Indigo, and towards his personal quarters, he thought to himself one last thought before he would allow sleep to take over his thoughts.

"The World will not KNOW my name. The World will BATHE in it. All will see what I was forced to see. All will know how it feels to suffer, to struggle to survive. And Ruby Rose...You will be the first to know what's it like to witness a CRIMSON NIGHT!"

 _Hello, hope you enjoyed the prologue! I will try and get chapters out asap! Looking forward to Oct. 14 and the RWBY Volume 5 premiere! So sit back, and get ready. This is RWBY: BLOOD WARS!_


	2. Author's Note

Author's Note

Hey readers, this is KAW021197. I know I've been away for a while, but the story is still on. I've just been going through a serious block. Now that Volume 5 is over, I can more accurately and effectively write my story. Chapter 2 was…not what I was going for. I re-read it again and again, and I feel like I rushed it out and the quality suffered. As such, I will be re-writing it. This story is also going to be post-volume 5 instead of during volume 4. Hopefully, the story entertains you guys and gals and keeps you coming back for more. Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 2

Blood Wars Chapter 2

 _ **2 Weeks Later**_

A faint tapping noise filled the room, despite the large presence of people. No one else moved or spoke, and if not for the tapping, one could likely hear a pin drop. Crimson sat at the end of a large rectangular table, his eyes staring at the door that faced him. His focus didn't waver, despite the awkward silence and the prying eyes of his anxious advisors who sat next to him around the table. A virtual map of Remnant was the only thing on this table and it flickered and moved as it showed the movement of every military and civilian aircraft currently flying in the world.

Crimson's finger finally stopped tapping as the doors flew open and a large Faunus with massive ram horns walked in. Next to him stood a smaller, female Faunus with much smaller horns. The large man carried a massive club with large spikes protruding from the end, while the smaller Faunus carried a variety of throwing knives on her belt.

"Well? Did the attack succeed or was our faith in Miss Belladonna misplaced?" Crimson asked, a level of vitriol in his voice that frightened Indigo. She glanced nervously at Crimson, who had risen to his feet and was glaring at the 2 Faunus. "The White Fang was routed…but Adam Taurus escaped, along with the rest of Salem's council." The female Faunus said quietly. Crimson's glare deepened as his attention turned to the larger Faunus. "And what of Lionheart? Did he escape your clutches as well Lime?!" Crimson growled, his voice rising. "Lionheart…was killed by Salem before I could…" Lime's answer was lost as he suddenly struggled to breathe as Crimson walked over to the kneeling Faunus.

Crimson glared down at Lime, his eyes glowing with red-hot rage. "I gave you _**one**_ order. Capture Adam Taurus and Leo Lionheart _**ALIVE**_ _._ Instead, you LOSE the one who presents a credible threat and allow the one with the information we had been seeking to be KILLED!" Crimson said angrily. "Please milord, forgive him! He did his best!" The female Faunus said, kneeling next to Crimson, holding his left hand. Crimson gave a quick glance at Lime, then waved his hand, sending Lime falling onto his backside, gasping for air.

"Do not presume that I have forgotten your past failures Light. You would do well to mind your tongue." Crimson growled. Light looked down and quickly retreated to kneel next to Lime. Crimson then turned to address the small crowd of people behind him. "Ruby Rose and the remnants of Team JNPR are still in Mistral. However, they will soon be traveling here to Atlas. Once they get here, Ozpin and his lapdog Qrow Branwen will almost assuredly support Ironwood and the Schnee Family. We MUST turn this against the Atlesian government. We have already driven a wedge between Ironwood and Mr. Schnee with the Border dispute, but we must force Ironwood to become an enemy of his own people!" Crimson proclaimed.

Mutters began to swirl in the room and one of the generals stood. "I thought we were fighting Ironwood! Our rebellion is driven around him leading unemotional hunks of metal to oppress our people! Why would we want him to be on our side?" The man asked. Crimson smiled. "We don't. We want Ruby and Ozpin to be on our side." Crimson said, eyes glowing blood red as he slowly walked over to the general who spoke. "Ironwood lets Ruby and Ozpin in, we then start riots in the mines. The elite Atlesian public will assume Ruby and her friends are stirring up trouble and blame Ironwood for the outbreak in violence and chaos. Ruby and her teammates will oppose the Atlesian's treatment of Faunus and be arrested and Ironwood will be ousted from power. Knowing Ironwood however, he will start a coup with the support of Ruby and Ozpin. The Schnee family will oppose them as the biggest remaining power in the government, and as they take each other out…" Crimson finished, staring down at the now smiling general. "We march in with our forces, take the city, and destroy the Atlesian Government." The general said triumphantly as the crowd murmured in approval.

Crimson smiled as he nodded. "Once we have control of the Government, we will destroy all Anti-Faunus groups and enforce a strict integration policy. All those who stand against us will be brought to justice. And once we have convinced Ruby and her allies to join us, we will bring the fight to Salem and we will claim VICTORY!" Crimson cried as the crowd erupted into cheers.

"And if Ruby refuses?" Indigo asked, bringing the cheers to an abrupt end. Crimson smiled evilly as he spoke. "Those who refuse to join us, stand against us. Luckily for Ruby, I happen to be quite…persuasive." Crimson said. Indigo's eyes widened as she took in Crimson's words. Crimson laughed as the small crowd began to cheer and chant. Crimson walked over to his seat and began to look at the map. He could see one lone ship taking off from Mistral, and it was headed to the Atlesian capital.

And Crimson thought to himself:

" _ **Ruby. You will join us. After all, everyone falls somewhere on the Spectrum."**_


End file.
